Cooking Class with Local Family

Join a Samarkand cooking class, connect with locals, and explore hidden gems. Experience authentic culture and create lasting memories.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • H3CF+29X - Are you ready to dive into the rich culture of Samarkand? As you enter this historic Silk Road city, get set for an extraordinary journey beyond the usual tourist attractions. Here’s your opportunity to truly experience life like a local:
  1. Siyob Bazaar: (Closed on Monday). Start your day at Siyob Bazaar, the vibrant core of…
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Meal Options
  • Soup or Plov or Dumplings - foods with ingredients including vegetables and meat/ no meat.

  • Jam or Juice - we can provide jam or juice made of fruits and completely natural.

Additional Information

Spending a day with a local family during your visit to Samarkand offers a truly unique and enriching experience:

  1. Authentic Insights: You’ll gain authentic insights into the local culture, traditions, and daily life. It’s like peeking behind the scenes and discovering what makes a place tick.
  2. Personal Connections: Interacting with locals…
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(12 Ratings)
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1 star
Marco
Aug 7, 2025
Cooking and dining culture experience with Akram and his warm young family - Akram picked us up at the hotel by car; he drove us around town to the Bazaar and also to a very important local carpet factory without ever forcing it, but always asking if we would like to visit one thing over another. After a short trip we arrived at his house in the outskirts of Samarcan DA (a tour that alone is already worth the experience to see the reality of the city and not only the center) where we were warmly welcomed DA also by his wife and one of his small children (who kept us company all day, but without ever disturbing). We got to cook delicious local food as agreed in advance and besides having fun we learned something about the local cuisine, but also about the Uzbek culture and people. The warmth, smile and helpfulness of Akram and his family is the number one experience we bring home DA this unforgettable trip. All this was simple from the beginning thanks to Akram’s familiarity with English who like many locals also speaks Russian. P.S. Akram in addition to cooking knows very well the city and the history of the country and facilities and is available to accompany you where you want. Really GOOD 👌🏼
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P3229ekdavide
Aug 6, 2025
An authentic experience and a delicious meal - I had a wonderful experience with Akram at his home. He and his wife coached me through the steps of making samsa and manti and we followed it up with a delicious lunch that I'd had a hand in making! They were warm and generous and it was very nice to get a small taste of village life in the area around Samarkand. Samarkand is exceptionally beautiful but it can also feel like you're very much in a tourist bubble. Akram took me out of that bubble and provided a memorable and authentic experience. He was also very good at tailoring the experience to suit my schedule and needs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Raysont2025
May 29, 2025
Very hospitable host with authentic experience - Thank you Navruz for spending the whole day with us. You are a very hospitable person and our experience in Samarkand was truly authentic with your accompaniment. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sohael
Apr 11, 2025
Wonderful experience - Akram was a wonderful host and we had so much fun on this cooking class! He and his wife welcomed us into their home, we were greeted with a huge table of food, tea and sweets, then they showed us how to make two Uzbek dishes (vegetarian for us). They were delicious! We got to know more about Uzbek culture and met some of his friends and family too, who were all super welcoming and friendly. He even gave us a gift at the end. Thank you Akram!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_a
Mar 21, 2025
A real Uzbek experience - This was a great way to see how people outside the obvious tourist destinations in Uzbekistan really love. Plus we got to make some traditional food and it was delicious! Akram, our guide, was fantastic - interesting and interested. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Famigliaallen
Mar 8, 2025
A great introduction to Uzbek family life and food. - This is a great way to get a feeling for family life and food in Uzbekistan. Akram and his family made us feel so welcome and showed us how to prepare plov and manti and the result was more delicious than the restaurant versions we had while in Samarkand. Akram is very knowledgeable and his English is excellent, and although his wife Roxshana is just beginning to learn English she made us feel so welcome, even when we were failing miserably to follow her simple manti-making directions. A really interesting day with great food and one which will stick in our memories much more than any restaurant meal ever will.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sucoa
Mar 2, 2025
100% Recommended - Akram and his family were extremely kind!!! It was a very nice experience not only regarding cooking uzbek food but also to share the uzbek culture!! 100% recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jens
Jan 29, 2025
Outstanding Experience - Thank you so much to Akram and his whole family for such a wonderful day! A masterclass in sharing insight into daily Uzbek life and Culture, while joining together with the whole family to cook incredible food. Fantastic experience for anybody passionate about learning about local culture and food!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Airik2025
Jan 7, 2025
Wonderful experience - I booked this cooking class through GetYourGuide at Akram’s home, and it turned out to be an amazing experience. His wife showed me how to cook plov, giving me a glimpse into their culinary traditions. Later, we shared the meal with his family, which made the experience even more special. Spending time with them, exchanging stories, and learning about their culture was truly unforgettable. It felt less like a class and more like being welcomed into their home. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a genuine cultural experience! Thank you so much Akram:)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kevinwv720ch
Dec 20, 2024
Good exchange with family! - My host Akram picked me up at my hotel then drove me to his village some 40 mins away to meet his family. I felt at ease and Akram has a good command of English. I met his wife and their youngest son, his Father and elder brother also a niece and nephew. The time went quick and we only had time to prepare one menu ….you guess it ; Plov. Which was wonderful and served with bread, salads, and fermented vegetables. Go for the cultural exchange more than for the cooking!! I declined the included visit to the Siyob Bazaar because I’d already been twice since my arrival in Samarkand.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $78
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).